Govt moves to protect reef heritage status

THE federal government is beefing up protection of the Great Barrier Reef to prevent the United Nations from stripping it of its world heritage status.

But that's failed to please green groups, which protested in most Australian capital cities on Friday over the threats they believe the reef faces from proposed coal and gas developments.

UNESCO raised concerns about the reef last year and made a number of recommendations to the government after it sent a team to Queensland to investigate the likely impact of expanded port development and shipping along the coast.

Environment Minister Tony Burke says he's responded to UNESCO's concerns in a report presented to the world heritage committee.

Substantial progress had been made in addressing the UNESCO recommendations, including undertaking one of the most detailed strategic assessments in Australia's history, he said.

This assessment, still in its draft stage, would help determine where sustainable development could occur, what projects could proceed and what conditions they'd have to meet.

"We will not give an inch when it comes to protection of the Great Barrier Reef," the minister told reporters in Sydney.

He pledged a further $800,000 to fight the crown-of-thorns starfish, a major threat to the reef ecosystem and the $6 billion tourism industry.

A chairperson has been assigned to an independent review into developments at Queensland's Gladstone port, a major concern for UNESCO and local environment groups.

But in a scorecard published by the fight for the reef campaign on Friday, the commonwealth and Queensland governments were given the thumbs down for their efforts in managing Gladstone harbour.

The federal government was also blasted for making no progress on UNESCO recommendations relating to pollution from catchments and port developments.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) spokesman Richard Leck said Australia was still in grave danger of losing the reef's world heritage title.

The campaign to fight for the reef, formed by the Australian Marine Conservation Society and WWF, warns 45 proposed developments - including large-scale coal and gas projects - could bring thousands more ships to the reef.

The opposition's environment minister Greg Hunt reiterated the coalition's support for keeping the reef on the World Heritage List.

"If elected, we will work towards the eradication of the crown of thorns, support the protection of dugongs and turtles and provide incentives for canegrowers to reduce run-off into these pristine waters," he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Australian Greens environment spokeswoman Larissa Waters said they wanted to amend environmental laws to take UNESCO's recommendations into account.

The reef was granted world heritage status in 1981 but has since faced numerous threats, including coral bleaching, cyclones, runoff, crown-of-thorns starfish and commercial activity.